THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; Chain restaurants intensify their television messages in an effort to distinguish themselves.

IN the sprawling subdivision of the food world where bar and grill restaurants like Applebee's International, Chili's and Ruby Tuesday reside, individuality has never been much in demand.

These restaurants have sought to be all things to all people, from a group of softball players munching on cheese fries after a game to a dieter seeking a low-carb salmon-and-broccoli entree. Heightened competition has intensified their efforts to set themselves apart from one another, leading them to increase significantly the money spent to woo customers.

And it has even prompted Ruby Tuesday, which has long disdained advertising in favor of pumping money into operational improvements, to hire a former Wal-Mart executive as a consultant, switch agencies, and, beginning next month, roll out its first national ad campaign.

The food industry's recent emphasis on low-carb and healthier fare -- directed in large part at women -- has served as a catalyst for all the marketing.

Applebee's last year signed a licensing agreement with Weight Watchers International and has devoted a section of its menu to low-calorie entrees. Friday's, a unit of Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, has a similar deal with Atkins Nutritionals. Chili's, a unit of Brinker International, is also promoting low-fat fare, albeit without any big-name partner. And Ruby Tuesday recently started cooking in canola oil and became the first national chain to list the fat and calorie counts for all menu items.

An increased focus on takeout is also spurring the marketing drives. To-go sales now account for more than 8 percent of sales at Applebee's and have reached a similar number at Chili's.

What these restaurant chains are fighting for is a bigger share of the $32.2-billion-a-year bar-and-grill category, one that grew by 7 percent in 2003, according to Technomic, a food service consultant which calls this group the ''varied menu'' segment.

They are also fighting to stand out in a category known for uniformity in food and ambience. ''I think that whole segment, if you want to call it casual dining, I think it's all getting very blurred,'' said Phil Romano, an industry veteran who created brands like Romano's Macaroni Grill and Fuddrucker's. ''You could close your eyes and go in and open your eyes and you'd never know which restaurant you're in.''

The dominant player is Applebee's -- both in market share (10.9 percent) and advertising spending ($130 million this year, a new high, backing its ''Eating Good in the Neighborhood'' jingle from Foote Cone & Belding in Chicago, part of the Interpublic Group of Companies).

Ruby Tuesday, fourth in the category, with 4.5 percent, appeared to be content with a tiny marketing presence. ''We don't rely on advertising,'' Sandy Beall, the chief executive, told analysts in February. The company's focus, he said, is to be ''better in the basics, in the experience and in the environment, than our other two competitors.''

But it was increased marketing by others, particularly Chili's (No. 2, with a 7.4 percent share), that prompted Ruby Tuesday to reconsider its aversion to advertising.

The company hired a marketing consultant, Paul Higham, who had previously served as marketing chief at Wal-Mart. Consumer research it conducted this year found that advertising could help it improve its standing. Ruby Tuesday then brought in a new ad agency, Bernstein-Rein Advertising in Kansas City, Mo., to replace the Kaplan Thaler Group in New York, part of the Publicis Groupe. Mr. Higham knew Bernstein-Rein from his days at Wal-Mart.

The result: a $20 million effort, focused on the East Coast, where the chain has most of its restaurants. Mr. Beall said the campaign would allow the company to compete with Applebee's and its media war chest.

''Based on what Applebee's and Chili's spent last year, we'll be even with Applebee's in our markets and ahead of Chili's and Friday's,'' Mr. Beall said in conference call with analysts last month.

''I know this will be full blown because we're going to spend the money on it,'' Mr. Beall added. ''Even if we don't get results out of this, this is the way we're going. This is a permanent part of our strategy going forward. I'm convinced it will work.''

Applebee's, for its part, doesn't seem to be worried. In a conference call last month, the chief operating officer, David Goebel, told analysts that Applebee's recent initiatives put it in a stronger position, from a marketing standpoint, than ever before. ''Our initiatives and menu improvements have put us in a very, very good position to leverage our category's leading spend in advertising with multiple messaging,'' he said.

Through May, Applebee's spent about $52.5 million on advertising, up from $50.4 million in the same period a year ago, according to TNS Media Intelligence/CMR, part of Taylor Nelson Sofres. Friday's spent $30.8 million, versus $27.9 million in the first five months of 2003. Ruby Tuesday's budget has soared from $2.9 million for all of 2003 to $4.2 million through May.

The results so far of all this advertising spending are mixed. Applebee's, Ruby Tuesday and Chili's all reported positive results in their most recent three-month periods. Friday's does not divulge comparable sales. But Friday's largest franchisee, Main Street Restaurant Group, recently reported that same-store sales declined 1.6 percent in the second quarter, and it blamed Carlson Restaurants for not advertising its Atkins items during the spring.

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A version of this article appears in print on August 26, 2004, on Page C00006 of the National edition with the headline: THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING; Chain restaurants intensify their television messages in an effort to distinguish themselves. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe